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Friday, July 20, 2007

11 years

This message was made possible by this lady,
under the pile of precious little boys.

We are calling this Anniversary Trip...

A Celebration of Firsts

1. It was the first time Aaron ate raw fish.

I'm talking completely raw...and lots of it. He went all Bear Grylls on me.

2. It was the first time Aaron drank alcohol.

And no matter what our talented boozer friend RK says about it, Aaron is not impressed with liquor. This was his first and last time he will ever drink the stuff. He made that clear during the wine cup's short journey from his lips back to the table. Schnappes or no Schnappes, this is where the party stops for Aaron!

3. It was Aaron's first time to valet park. We got close and Aaron nonchalantly says, "I think we have to valet park." I about died. I started screaming, "Call my dad, oh my gosh, call my dad!" Aaron looked at me like I was crazy! I said, "You have NO IDEA what you're doing...this is a big deal...you have to tip people and junk." He called my dad.

This hotel was so beautiful...and there was a MARY KAY CONVENTION at it. The joy! Just listening to their conversations and watching them all put makeup on in the elevators and smelling them may be one of the top 20 highlights of my life. They let about 200 pink and white balloons go right next to our room...tons of ladies, all decked out and painted with makeup, crying and clapping, watching balloons fly into the air. I watched them through my window...I was smiling...and thinking...life is so funny.

4. It was our first time to ever be the ONLY people sitting in a movie theater watching a movie.

5. It was our first time to almost, very nearly, probably get mugged. It was marvelous. I thought we were going down. I was ready to break out my body combat skills. Aaron was tense and kept pushing me away from the man standing in front of us. I get an adrenaline rush just typing this, so you can only imagine how amazing this experience really was. It was all I could do to not just come right out and ask, in a very excited sort of way..."Are you about to mug us?" If so, I wanted to get my camera ready. I thought the mugger man would like that I had every intention of blogging about this...pictures and all.

6. I went to a pawn shop. This was just as terrifying as the almost mugging.

7. We slept until 10:30 and then 9:30, only because the housekeeping ladies were being so noisy next door, I couldn't make it till 10:30 the next day.

8. I swam with manatees. Not really. I just wanted to. And it was the first time in my life that I wanted to swim with manatees, so I thought it should be included.

9. I got Aaron to jay walk. Really. Is Jay Walking real? As in ...is it a real law that you have to mind the "hand" and "white walking man?" I thought for sure that these were but mere suggestions...that if no cars were coming, and you had a hand...you could just go. Oh no. Aaron and Jenn SWEAR this is real. I think we're all just conforming to some Big Brother Jay Walking Myth. How many jaywalking convictions have there been in the last year? I just seriously want to know. I am convinced it's not real.

Then we...

Went and visited our friend, we graduated with from good ol' Madisonville High School...Bart Karber.

He's a real-life zoo keeper at the Dallas zoo. When I saw him in his green shirt, khaki shorts and hiker boots I squealed with excitement. He told me to hush and said, "I smell like Elephant poop, so I'm not that cool." But I thought even that was cool.

He took us through the zoo-keeper's VIP gates to see the elephants and giraffes!

And he let us feed them! It was AMAZING!

Which means...

10. This was our first time to feed elephants and our first time to feed giraffes in a legal sort of way. We did it once in Mexico, but got in trouble.

Aaron feeding the giraffe.

Me feeding the giraffe.

You see pictures of this stuff all the time, but I can't explain to you what it is like to have an animal THIS HUGE and this wonderful standing right next to you eating out of your hand.

We had a great trip. I slept. I wrote. I spent time with my favorite human being.

11 years of listening to you sleep
While I think
While I name our unborn children
And paint the kitchen green

11 years of talking about the pain
of how we hurt each other
because we love each other
even the smallest pricks are felt

11 years of holding hands
of keeping your clothes clean
of hearing your morning routines
it's all music playing while I dream

11 years of wanting to love you
of wanting you to love me
11 years of figuring out
I don't even know what that means

Good thing this song can play on longer
Cause I want to get it right
Let's turn it up
Let's sing it louder
Till we know all the words

You can strum
I will hum
I'll sway
Watch you play

11 years of singing this song
And I never want it to end

Love you Aaron...

The longer we are married, the closer I stay to you...very few thoughts go by where you're not in them...I'm never alone anymore in my dreams...You've invaded even my imagination...you're always sitting somewhere in each scene...11 years of celebrating this life we're living together.

You've inspired me. Mark and I have never left our kids overnight in 14 years. Never. I'm going to put an end to that on our 20th anniversary. Don't tell him. I will surprise him - and BOY will he be surprised! He doesn't read blogs, so don't worry! I have a long time to plan it, too.

That is beautiful. Very few people can put into words their every thought. You can and it is truly a gift. And I'm so thankful for that.

I'm also thankful for the animated stories that make me feel like I'm right there with you.

I think you made Jason hungry reading about the sushi experience. He picked up some PRE-MADE California rolls at our HEB the very next day. He said that they were so awful. And I quote,"The worst things he has ever eaten". Which really means that they were truly awful. Nothing comes close to the real deal.

I'm so glad your trip was wonderful.And what's funny, is deep down you still don't believe jaywalking exists!Thanks for sharing your anniversary with us! Happy 11 years, and happy 50 something more!Love you both!!jenn